Recent growth in the mobile industry has driven an unprecedented increase in digital inclusion in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 1 Since 2014, mobile operators have connected 700 million new subscribers and another billion have gained access to the internet through a mobile phone, many for the first time. 2 1.7billion women now own a mobile phone in LMICs and over a billion use mobile internet. As the reach of mobile grows, it is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for delivering life-enhancing information, services and opportunities to millions who have not had the opportunity to access them before. Despite this growth, mobile ownership still remains far from universal. Across LMICs, 15 per cent of adults still do not own a mobile phone and 45 per cent do not use mobile internet. These individuals tend to belong to the most marginalised groups: they are disproportionately rural, illiterate and older. They are also predominantly female.